SLOWING DOWN

I recently finished a book called Books for Living by Will Schwalbe in which he assigned each chapter a different action or phrase and then made book recommendations that corresponded with it.

Most of which I had never read before (out of the 26 I might have read 3??? maybe...).

Naturally it got me thinking about what books I would recommend for those phrases and I've decided to write about my selections here. So, first up...

Slowing Down

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good audio book (even not so good audio books). The older I get the harder it has become for me to stay put long enough to read. I get restless and feel like there are just other things I need to get done...now! I have always been a fan of audio books but I have found that I seem to be relying on them more and more these days.

They are great in the car, at home while cooking or cleaning, or at work when I'm auditing or filing. A perfect way to multi-task and be entertained at the same time. Also with most devices you can alter the speed of the narration. Speed it up if the pauses between sentences is too much for you or you are facing a book club deadline! Slow it down when the reader is using a thick accent and you aren't really sure what they are talking about.

Every now and then a book will come along that is the flawless blend of imagery and characters, and with a reader who stops you in your tracks and you just want to listen to them read you anything for the rest of your life.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and read by Jim Dale is such a book. Two worlds colliding with magic and romance, brings competing illusionists to face each other. Morgenstern reveals the artistry of such a world with each chapter. Taking you, the reader, into every scene. Allowing you to amerce yourself in the beauty she paints around you. Dale provides a voice that lures the listener in, feeling safe and comforted while being lost in such a place.

If you have the chance for Jim Dale to read you anything, anything at all, EVER, do it! But when it comes to the Night Circus, slow it down! Don't rush it. Breath it in. Live in that world a little while longer. Take your time! The rest of the world can wait.